56 Nebraskaland • November 2020
PORTRAITS FROM THE PAST
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, Nebraskaland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov. Photos
should show people enjoying Nebraska outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing, and must have been taken before 2000. We will give priority
to unusual photos or activities. When possible, please include a story about the photograph and identify the people, places and approximate date it was taken. Text
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Former commissioner Lynn Berggren, left, and Larry Rutar, right, after a walleye trip to Harlan in the spring of 1968. The
friendship continued with a goose hunt that included Lynn's son, Pat (middle), near Kearney. The traditions of hunting and
fishing with the Berggrens has grown, even in the absence of Lynn, with sons Kevin and Pat.
– Larry Rutar, Grand Island
Taken on a cold, snowy Saturday
morning in January 1962, my
brother, Ron Ayers, with a jackrabbit
shot while hunting an open field
southwest of Norfolk.
His shotgun was a bolt action,
full-choke 28 gauge. We walked an
open field when the rabbit jumped
and ran. It made the mistake of not
running off, but stopped within gun
range of Ron's shotgun. The rest is
history and a great stewed rabbit
over homemade biscuits.
This was his first wild game shot.
He was 14 years old, and I was 10.
I have hunted and fished in
Nebraska for over 55 years — great
magazine, great memories, great
state.
– Reg Ayers, York
